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Computer Basics

Prepared by:

Maria Lourdes A Mariano

Far Eastern University

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omputer

Essentials

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Objectives:

Learn the difference between hardware and software

Discover the various types of computers and their roles

See whats on the front, back, and inside of a computer

Learn about the various ports of a computer

Understand what determines a computers performance

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Hardware, Software,

and Information Technology IT)

A typical computer

setup

Microsoft Word is an example of

a software application.

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Your desktop probably contains a jumble of

equipment known as a computer. Unlike many

other tools or appliances that have limited purposes,a computer can do any number of things:

Write letters

Browse the Internet

Send e-mail messages to people around the worldPlay games

Help you balance your budget

and thats just the beginning of what you can dowith a computer!

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Hardwareare computer parts that you can physically

see or touch. It includes the computers monitor,

case, keyboard, mouse, and printer.

Software are computer programs that tell hardware

how to operate. You may have used software such

as Microsoft Excel or Corel WordPerfect in the past.

IT, short for Inform ation Technology, is the broadsubject related to computers and managing and

processing information, especially within large

organizations.

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Component Description

Case or System Unit The main computer box, technically known as the system unit,is the most important part of a computer. It contains the gutsand brains of the computer. The system unit contains a lot ofholes or ports where you plug in the rest of the computersystem.

Monitor The monitor resembles a television set, and is where the

computer displays information.

Keyboard The keyboard is the thing you type on to tell your computer whatto do.

Mouse Like the keyboard, the mouse is another input device that youuse to communicate with your computer.

Speakers Most computers can make sounds, just like a stereo system. Infact, you can even listen to audio CDs on most computers orwatch DVDs.

Printer A printer is where a computer writes down information or output,onto paper, or a hardcopy.

Components of a Computer

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How a computer works

Input

You communicatewith the computer viaan input device such

as a mouse, akeyboard, or ajoystick.

Process/Storage

The computerprocesses data, makescalculations, directs thework of the hardware,

and stores your files.

Output

The computercommunicates itsresults to you via anoutput device such as

a monitor, a printer, orspeakers.

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Comparing a TV to a PC

Input

The remote control

talks to the TV; themouse and thekeyboard talk to thecomputer.

Process/Storage

The cable box decipherswhich channel you want towatch; the CPU translatesyour instructions (viasoftware) to the hardware.

Output

The television displays thechannel; the monitordisplays the results.

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Types of Computers

Computer DescriptionA mainframe is a big, powerful, expensive computerthat can support many users at the same time. Largebusinesses and organizations use mainframes.

Capacity:Enormousthe capacity of several

hundred or even thousands of PCs

Speed:Very fastmuch, much faster than a PC

Cost:Very, very expensivecan usually only be

afforded by large organizations

Users:Only used by large businesses andorganizations

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Types of Computers - continued

A PC is a personal computer, originally designedby IBM way back in 1981. Many differentcompanies make PCs, but all of them are IBM-compatible.

Capacity:Average hard disk size is 20 GB to 80GB.

Speed:Fast Average speed is from 1 GHz to 3GHz.

Cost:Fairly inexpensiveunder $1,000 and

getting cheaper everyday.

Users:Just everyone who uses a PC. Homes,offices, schools.

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Developed by Apple, a Macintosh is a computer, but

it is NOT a PC. Macs have a different operatingsystem and use their own software and hardware.

Capacity:Average hard disk size is 20 GB to 80 GB

Speed:Fast Average speed is from 500 MHz to 2GHz

Cost:Fairly inexpensive, but usually more than anequivalent PC

Users: Just about everyone, especially in theeducation and design fields.

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A network is a group of computers that are connectedso that they can share equipment and information. A

server is a central computer where users on thenetwork can save their files and information.

Capacity:(Workstation) Same as a PC, only needs aninexpensive network card

(Server) greater than a PC, often more than 100 GB

Speed:(Workstation) Same as a PC

(Server) Generally faster than a PC, may use multipleCPUs

Cost:(Workstation) Same as a PC

(Server) More expensive than a PC but not as costly

as a mainframeUsers:(Workstation) People in a networked office ororganization

(Server) Generally a network administrator or engineer

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A laptop, or notebook, is a lighter and moreportable version of a PC or Mac that can run on

batteries.

Capacity:Average hard disk size is 10 GB to 40GB

Speed:Fast, but slightly less than a PC. Averagespeed is from 700 MHz to 2 GHz

Cost:Fairly inexpensive, but more than anequivalent PC

Users:People on the move, especially businesspeople and students

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A PDA (Personal Data Assistant) is a handheld

computer that is generally used to keep track ofappointments and addresses.

Capacity:Much smaller than a PC8 MB to 64MB of storage space

Speed:Much slower than a PC8 MHz to 266MHz

Cost:Expensive when compared to thecapacities of a PC

Users:Business people and others who need tobe organized

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The Front of a Computer Case

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Whats on the Front or Outside of a Computer Case

Item DescriptionSystem Unit or

Computer Case

A plastic or metal case with slots, buttons, andlights in the front and holes in the back. This is themost important part of a computer because itcontains the Central Processing Unit (CPU). Thesystem unit directs the computer, performs

calculations, and stores information.Floppy Drive Reads and writes to 3 - inch floppy disks. A

floppy disk can store about 1.5 MB of informationabout as much as a novel.

Hard Drive The computers main, long-term storing device.

Unlike floppy disks and CD-ROMs, you typicallycannot remove a hard disk.

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- continued

CDROM or

DVD Drive

CD-ROMs and DVDs for your computer can store lots of

information and look exactly like CDs for your stereoand DVDs for your home DVD player.

The only read difference between a CD-ROM and aDVD is how much information they can store. A CD-ROM and a DVD can store at least 700 MB ofinformation, while a DVD can store much moreup to4.7 GB or 9.4 GB on a dual-layer DVD.

Zip Drive A special type of disk drive that can read and write to Zipdisks. A Zip disk is a lot like a floppy disk, although theyare faster and can store more informationfrom 100 to

250 MB.Tape Backup A device that you can use to store backups, or copies, of

the information on a computers hard drive.

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- continued

IN

P

U

T

Keyboard The keyboard is the thing you type on to tell your

computer what to do.Mouse Like the keyboard, the mouse is another input device

that you use to communicate with your computer.

Scanner Scanners work like photocopiers, except the image istranslated into a digital image in your computer rather

than copied onto paper.O

U

T

P

U

T

Monitor The monitor resembles a television set, and is wherethe computer displays information.

Speakers If visible, your computer speakers are similar to thoseon a stereo system (or at least a cheap stereo

system). They allow your computer to play sounds.Printer A printer is where a computer writes down information

or output, onto paper, or a hardcopy.

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The Inside of a Computer

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Whats Inside a Computer Case

Item Description

Motherboard The main piece of circuitry in a computer. Everythingconnects to or is wired to the motherboard.

Central

Processing

Unit (CPU)

The computers brain or heart, the CPU is a computers

main chip. The CPU is really nothing more than anincredibly fast and powerful calculator.

Random

Access

Memory (RAM)

A computers temporary storage place, where it gets its

work done. For example, when you use a wordprocessor to type a letter, the letter is stored in thecomputers memory.

ROM-BIOS A computers ROM-BIOS (stands for Read Only

MemoryBasic Input/Output System) is a special chipwith instructions for the computer to communicate withother hardware parts.

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Expansion Slot An expansion slot lets you add more features and

capabilities to a computer by plugging in expansioncards.

Expansion Card A card that allows you to expand your computers

capabilities, such as modem card, a network card,a video card, or a sound card.

PCMCIA Cards Notebook computers are too small to useexpansion cards, so they use special credit-cardsized PCMCIA cards instead. You plug in aPCMCIA card, or PC Card, into a notebookcomputer to give it more features and capabilities.

Nobodys getting tested o this, but PCMCIA standsfor Present Computer Memory Card InternationalAssociation.

Whats Inside a Computer Case continued

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The Back of a Computer Ports)

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Whats on the back of a Computer Case

Port Icon Description

The keyboard and mouse jacks lookidentical on most PCs, so look for colorsand icons to help you with plugging inthese devices.

Serial (or COM) ports are a very versatile

type of port. Some of the things you canplug into a serial port include: a mouse,modem, scanner, or digital camera. Mostcomputers have two serial ports: COM1and COM2.

You plug your printer into the parallel, orprinter, port. Many newer printers may usea USB port.

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- continued


Designed to replace older Serial andParallel ports, the USB (Universal SerialBus) can connect computers with anumber of devices, such as printers,keyboards, mice, scanners, digital

cameras, PDAs, and more. Better yet, theUSB port supports plug-and-play, so youcan simply plug in a USB device and startusing it. USB 1 ports can transferinformation at a speed up to 12 Mbps(Megabytes per Second). Newer USB 2

ports can transfer information at a speedup to 480 Mbps. Most computers comewith two USB ports.

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- continued


You plug your monitor into the video port.

Plug in your speakers or headphone intothe Line Out jack.

The Line In jack allows you to listen toyour computer using a stereo system.

You plug a microphone into this jack torecord sounds on your computer.

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- continued


If you have a joystick, musical (MIDIMusical Instrument Digital Interface)keyboard, or other gaming device, this iswhere you plug it in.

The phone or modem jack is where youplug your computer into a phone line.

You can connect your computer to anetwork by plugging in an Ethernet cablein this port.

An SCSI port is one of the fastest ways toconnect a hard drive, CD-ROM drive, orother device to a computer.

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Firewire A FireWire (IEEE 1394 or i.LINK) port lets you connect suchdevices as hard disks and digital camcorders to a computer.It can transfer information at a speed of up to 400 Mbps.


- continued


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System Bus and Expansion Cards

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Expansion cards allow you to add more gizmos and capabilities

to a computer. You can also use expansion cards to replace a

component of a computer that breaks like a modem.

A computer talks to its expansion cardsand everything else on

the motherboardthrough its bus. A computers bus is an

electronic pathway that carries information between devices in a

computer.

Two factors determine how information flows through the bus:

the bus wid thand the bus speed.

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Bus Width

The bus width determines how many lanes there are on a

computers electronic highway. Actually, the bus width isntmeasured in lanes, but in bits. The wider the bus, the more

information can travel across it at the same time.

Bus Speed

The bus speed determines how fast information can travel

through the bus. The higher the bus speed, the faster

information can travel through it. Bus speeds is measured

in MHz.

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Computer Performance

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Factors that Affect Computer Performance

Factor Description

The single most important factor that determines acomputers performance is the speed of its CPU. The speed

of the CPU is measured in MHz and GHz. The faster theCPU, the faster the computer. The first PC in 1981 ran at4.77 MHz, while todays computers can run at speeds

exceeding 3,000 MHz, or 3 GHz.

The amount of RAM, or memory, is another very importantfactor in a computers performance. Generally, the more

RAM a computer has the better its performance. However,you usually wont see much of an improvement after 1 GB of

RAM.

Video cards have their own processor and memory, just likethe computer does. The faster the processor and the morememory a video card has, the faster it can draw images onthe monitor. Video card performance is especially importantif youre interested in playing newer, 3D computer games.

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Factors that Affect Computer Performance - continued

Factor Description

A hard drives average access time is how fast it can findinformation. Average access time is measured inmilliseconds (ms) or 1/1000 of a second. The lower theaccess speed, the faster the hard drive. Most newercomputers have an average access time of 8 to 15 ms.

Not only do you need a fast hard drive, you have to makesure that it has plenty of free storage space. MicrosoftWindows uses this hard disk space to create a cache onthe hard drive where it stores temporary information.

Normally a computer stores a file in the same location on a

hard drive. Over time, a hard drive can becomefragmented, and instead of storing a file in the samelocation it begins storing parts of it all over. When thecomputer needs to read a fragmented file, it must readseveral different parts of the hard drive instead of just one.

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Factors that Affect Computer Performance - continued

Factor Description

Microsoft Windows can multitask, or run more than oneprogram or task at a timeprobably no different than yourjob. And, just like your job, the more programs or tasks youthrow at Windows, the longer it takes to complete eachone, and hence a drop in computer performance.

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Understanding Hardware

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The entral

Processing Unit

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Objectives:

Understand what a CPU does

Learn how memory is measured

Learn about input devices: mouse, keyboard, and digital

cameras

Learn about output devices: monitor, graphics, and

printers

Learn about storage devices: hard drives, CD-ROMs, and

DVDs

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The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is also known as the computer chip or themicroprocessor (or simply processor). Some say the CPU is the brain of thecomputer while others describe it as the heart. It does all the work: itcalculates, it processes, it keeps things running smoothly.

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Types of CPU

CPU Speed Description

1 GHz to3 GHz Intel Pentium 4 ProcessorThe Pentium 4 is Intels more recent and fastestgeneration of CPUs, with processing speeds over 3GHz.

450 MHz

to 1 GHz

Intel Pentium III Processor

Launched in 1999, Pentium 3 CPUs are still found insome new computers.

1.06 to 2GHz

Intel Celeron Processor

Intels Celeron CPU is an inexpensive processor

designed for people on budget. Celeron processorsare very similar to Pentium processors, but theyhave less built-in memory.

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Types of CPU

continued


500 MHzto 3 GHz Intel Xeon ProcessorDont expect to see any Xeon-based computers atyour local computers storeits designed for high-end servers.

850 MHz

to 1.67GHz

AMD Athlon Processor

The Athlon processor is equivalent to Pentiumprocessorsonly its less expensive.

1.5 GHzto 1.8

GHz

AMD Sempron Processor

The Sempron CPU is AMDs answer to Intels

Celeron processor. It has less built-in memory andis designed for people on a budget.

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Types of CPU

continued


OlderProcessors Heres a summary of the other most common andobsoleteprocessors out there:

Processor Release Date Average

Speed

Pentium II 1997 266 MHz

Pentium 1993 133 MHz

486 1989 66 MHz

386 1985 25 MHz

286 1982 12.5 MHz

8088 1979 8 MHz

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Memory

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The first thing you need to know is that, at itsmost basic level, a computer onlyunderstands the concept of on and o ff. Onis represented by the number one (1);Offisrepresented by the number zero (0).

Everything that a computer does is based ona combination of ones and zeroes, which isknown as the binary system.

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Bits and Bytes

Unit Abbrev. Size Symbol Equivalent

Bit - - - An atom orspeck, thesmallest unit ofmemory.

Byte - 8 bits A single letter, a

number, or asymbol.

Kilobyte K or KB 1,024 bytes A one-page,double-spacedletter.

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Bits and Bytes - continued

Unit Abbrev. Size Symbol Equivalent

Megabyte MB 1,024 bytes A best-sellingnovel

Gigabyte G or GB 1,073,824

bytes

An encyclopedia

set

Terabyte T or TB 1,099,511,62

7,776 bytes

A bookstore

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RAM and ROM

RAM, or Random Access Memory, works like a notepad; you can readfrom it and write to it. ROM, or Read Only Memory, works like a novel,you can read from it but not write to it.

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Mouse

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Keyboard

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Special Keys and Their Functions

Keys Description

The >Alt> key doesnt do anything by itself it needs

another key to make things happen. For example, pressingthe key while holding down the key switchesbetween any programs that are currently running.

Just like the key, the key doesntdo anythingbut itself you need to press another key with it to make

things happen. For example, pressing the key whileholding down the key cuts whatever is selected.

The key is the help key, and pressing it displayshelpful information about what youredoing.

The (Escape) key is the Wait, Ive changed mymind key and is the same as clicking Cancel in a dialogbox. For example, if you click something and an unfamiliardialog box appears, you can close it by pressing the key.

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Keys Description

The key is the Carryout my orderskey and is the

same as clicking the OK button in a dialog box. Forexample, after youve typed the name of a program youwant to run in a dialog box, press to run theprogram.

When yourein a dialog box, pressing the key movesto the next field. When youreusing a word processor, the key works just like youdthink it would and jumps tothe nearest tab stop when pressed.

The arrow keys move your computers cursor across thescreen.

The key deletes or erases whatever you select files, text, or graphical objects. If youre working with text,the key erases characters to the right of theinsertion point.

Special Keys and Their Functions - continued

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Special Keys and Their Functions - continued

Keys Description

Use the key to fix your typing mistakes it

erases characters to the left of the insertion point.

The key jumps to the beginning of the current linewhen youreworking with text.

The key jumps to the end of the current line whenyoureworking with text.

The key moves up one screen.

The key moves down one screen.

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Digital Cameras and Web Cams

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Digital Cameras and Web Cams - continued

A digital camera lets you take pictures that you can transfer to a

computer. These pictures can be printed, inserted in a wordprocessing document, or can be sent to an e-mail message.

The quality of the pictures a digital camera takes depends on its

resolution, which is measured in megapixels. One megapixels is

equal to one million, or 1000 x 1000 pixels. The higher the numberof megapixels, the clearer and more detailed is the picture.

Digital cameras dontuse filmthey store their pictures on a type

of removable memory called flash cards. Flash cards can storeanywhere from a dozen to several hundred pictures, depending on

how much memory they have.

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Digital Cameras and Web Cams - continued

Different types or formats of flash cards:

CompactFlash:Definitely the most common type of digitalfilm. CompactFlash cards can typically store anywhere from

8MB to over 1GB.

SmartMedia:A very popular type of memory card becauseof its small size. They are widely used in many PDAs. Theircapacities range from 2 MB to 128 MB.

Memory Stick:Sony makes this type of memory card foruse in its own products. Sony digital cameras, SonyPDAs, etc. Their capacities range from 4 MB to 128 MB.

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Other Input Devices

Theresusually not enough room to use a mouse on an airplane or

on the beach. Its for this reason that most laptops have built-in

touch pads and AccuPoint Pointing Devices.

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Input Device Description

Touch Pad

A touch pad is a small, touch-sensitive pad used as apointing device on some portable computers. By movinga finger or other objects along the pad, you can move thepointer on the display screen.

AccuPoint

Pointing Device

An AccuPoint Pointing Device, or pointing stick, isanother mouse substitute that is found on many laptopcomputers. An AccuPoint Pointing Device usually sits inthe middle of a keyboard and resembles an eraser at theend of a pencil.

A track ball is essentially a mouse lying on its back. To

move the pointer, you rotate the ball with your thumb,your fingers, or the palm of your hand.

Other Input Devices

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A light pen is an input device that utilizes a light-sensitive detector to select objects on a display screen.A light pen is similar to a mouse, except that with a lightpen you can move the pointer and select objects on thedisplay screen by directly pointing to the objects withthe pen.

A scanner is a lot like a photocopier. Instead ofproducing copies, a scanner converts images into digitalinformation and stores it in a computer.

Other Input Devices - continued

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Other Input Devices - continued


Mostly used for computer games, a joystick is a leverthat moves in all directions and usually controls sometypes of movement on the computer.

If your computer has a sound card (and most computerhave one) you can plug in a microphone to displayrecord sounds to your computer.

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The Monitor

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The Monitor - continued

A computers monitor looks and works a lot

like a TV screen. The monitor is really only

half of what makes text and images appear onthe screen. The other half is the graphic card,

or video/display adapter. The monitor plugs

into the graphics card in the back of the

computer.

Flat panel or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)

monitors, will eventually replace older CRT

monitors. A flat panel monitor is the same type

of display that is found in laptop computers.Flat panel monitors are thin, lightweight, and

use a lot less electricity but more expensive

than traditional monitors.

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The Monitor - continued

Size: The size of a monitor is measured diagonally across the screen.Common monitor sizes are 15, 17, 19, and 21 inches. The most popular

monitor is currently 17 inches.

Dot Pitch:This refers to the distance between each pixel, or dot, on thescreen, as measured in millimeters (mm). The smaller the dot pitch, thecloser the dots, and the sharper the image is.

Refresh Rate: It determines how quickly the monitor redraws, or

updates, the image on the screen. Higher refresh rates are better sincethey flicker less and are easier on the eyes. The refresh rate is measuredin hertz (Hz), or the number of times per second the monitor redraws theentire screen.

Screen Savers and Energy Star Compliance: A screen saver is a

moving picture that appears on your computer screen when you dontuse your computer for a while. Screen savers originally preventedphosphor burn, which occurred when a static image became etched ontothe screen after a long period of time.

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Printer Basics

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A printer is an output device that puts text and graphics on

paper. Using the printer is often the last step in creatingsomething on a computer, whether itsa letter, spreadsheet,

or digital photograph.

A printers resolution helps determine the quality of the

images it can produce. Higher resolution means higher

quality images. Printer resolution is measured in dots per

inch (dpi). Generally, 600-dpi resolution works great for text

documents, while you will probably want 1200 dpi or better

resolution for printing images.

Printer Basics - continued

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Printer Basics - continued

Speed. A printers speed determines how quickly it can print

pages. Speed is measured in two ways:

o characters per second (cps)

o pages per minute (ppm)

Memory. Laser printers have their own memory, or RAM, just like

a computer. This memory is used to store pages before they are

printed. Most laser printers have anywhere from 2 MB to 8 MB ofmemory.

Print Buffer and Spooler. A print buffer works like a dam: it holds

back the information and releases it at a rate that the printer can

handle.

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Input/Output Devices

Some computer devices can be categorized as both an input and an

output device. For example, a multifunction printer, has a scanner

(input) and a printer (output). Touch screen monitors are anotherexample of an input/output device; they display images (output) and

also let users interact with the computer by pressing areas of the screen

(input).

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File Cabinet vs. Hard Disk

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File Cabinet vs. Hard Disk - continued

A hard drive or hard disk is a computers main storage device.

Most hard drives are tucked away in the system unit of a

computer and hidden from view.

Whatsstored on a hard drive:

Operating System Files: A computers operating system, like

Windows XP, is stored on the hard drive.

Program Files: These are the programs you work with, like yourword processor, your Internet software, or your games.

Programs usually come on floppy disks or CD-ROMs.

Data Files: Whenever you create a document or data file on your

computer, the computer stores it in its temporary memory

(RAM). You must save your documents to the hard drive or theywill be lost when you turn off your computer.

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Understanding Software

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Objectives:

To learn about:

Operating Systems

Application Software

Word Processors, Spreadsheets, Databases, etc.

S ft i t th t t ll th t

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Software is a computer program that tells the computer

hardware how to operate.

Types of Software

S ft f th Wi d XP ti t th t

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Software ranges from the Windows XP operating system that manages

your computer, to the word processor you use to print letters, to the

Web browser you use to surf the Internet.

Whats an operating system?

An operating System is a software program that loads automatically

and controls just about everything on your computer.

What is an application program?

An application program helps you accomplish a certain task, such aswriting a letter, browsing the Internet or playing a game.

Why are new versions of software released year after year?

Software manufacturers will tell you need a new version of their

program because it has new features and fewer bugs. Other people

will tell you itsbecause the software manufacturers can continue tomake money year after year. Each software release is given a new

name or number, such as Windows 95, Windows 98, to help

distinguish the software from older versions.

Understanding Graphical User Interfaces

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Understanding Graphical User Interfaces

The information on a computer screen was strictly text, and that text

was manipulated using a keyboard. The computers started using

graphical images on the screen to represent a program or file called

i cons. Along with the introduction of icons came the development ofgraphic al user inter faces(GUIs). GUIs allow computer users to point at

pictures and icons and then click the icon to manipulate that program

or file, thus, the phrase point and cl ick.

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Things Youll See in the Windows XP GUI

Object

You use the arrow or pointer to point and click things.

Click the Start button to access the programs on a

computer.

Double-click My Computer to access the drives and

files on a computer.

Double-click the Hard Drive to access the hard drives

folders and files.

Double-click the CD-ROM Drive to play or run the

contents of the CD-ROM.

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- continued

Object

Folders hold files and subfolders, just like a filingcabinet.

The Recycle Bin stores your deleted files.

Click the Close button to close the current window or

program.

Click the Minimize button to temporarily hide a window

or program.


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Object

Click the Maximize button to expand a window orprogram to fill the entire screen.

A thumbnail displays a tiny preview of a digital picture

or photograph.

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